Article from The Log (www.thelog.com)
By Captain Pat Rains
Thursday, 3/26/09  11:41 AM

SAN DIEGO - Nearly 400 boaters interested in participating in the 2009 FUBAR Odyssey to Mexico assembled at San Diego Yacht Club for a night of announcements, silent and live auctions, and a fiesta, March 10.While mariachis strummed, sponsors introduced their marinas and yacht services, as diners bid on nautical items, raising nearly $10,000 for the event.FUBAR (in this case) stands for Fleet Under way to Baja Rally. It will be the second biennial powerboat cruise from San Diego to La Paz.T

he big news, the Nov. 14 departure date from San Diego and the Nov. 27 arrival date in La Paz, was announced by FUBAR 2009 co-chairmen Val Farrell, Kemp Ruffner and Ian Gardner-Smith. Junior Sailing members delivered the hard-won auction items to winners.Starting March 15, applications began being taken online for participants in the FUBAR powerboat rally to Mexico. The web site is www.sdyc.org/fubar.  Over 40 skippers have submitted their applications so far.

Ruffner’s presentation demonstrated how to fill in the online application, from which participants will be selected. A high-resolution photo of the boat is also required.Ruffner said a $765 fee will be taken at that time by credit card, and the fee will go toward a goodie bag of nautical items and more than $1,000 worth of prizes, discounts and services — including seminars on vessel and crew preparation, a dinghy poker run, plus shore excursions and dinner parties scheduled in San Diego, Ensenada, Turtle Bay, Santa Maria Bay, Magdalena Bay, San Jose del Cabo, Muertos Bay and La Paz.

He reminded boaters that the FUBAR Odyssey is a charitable event that raises funds for junior sailing programs at host clubs throughout Southern California.Vessels qualified to participate must be able to travel at least 450 nautical miles at an average 8.5-knot speed using diesel fuel carried in the boat’s integral tanks, not by carrying extra deck fuel. However, fuel stops will be arranged for participating boats in San Diego, Ensenada, Turtle Bay, San Jose del Cabo and La Paz.

To be considered, boats must be in good mechanical condition, and each qualified boat will also be inspected by FUBAR staff mechanics. Boats must be skippered by their owners, not professional captains.“The FUBAR is not limited to yacht club members. Early applications will be considered first, and a waiting list will be established,” Farrell said. Because more boat owners are expected to apply for a spot in the 51-boat fleet, Farrell said those not accepted will be notified and get deposits refunded before Sept. 15.

“The fleet will probably consist of 51 powerboats,” Ruffner said, “mostly less than 60 feet in length, boats that are ‘short-legged’ and need to be fueled en route, such as at the remote Turtle Bay outpost.”He added that a few larger vessels that don’t need fuel en route will be selected to volunteer as escorts. Each escort vessel will carry one or more FUBAR staffers — such as journalists, professional captains, a doctor, technicians, a meteorologist, a translator and other support personnel.

Boat owners must provide their own crew. Because the cruise will entail a few overnight runs, participating boats are required to have a minimum of four qualified watch standers. Boaters interested in volunteering to crew aboard FUBAR boats can sign up on the Web site.Farrell said that by June 15, boat owners should make their own slip reservations at marinas in San Diego and Ensenada (Cruiseport Village, Marina Coral, Baja Naval), at Marina Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo and at Marina CostaBaja in La Paz. He said that because the FUBAR will occur at the beginning of “cruising season” in Mexico, anyone without slip reservations might have to anchor outside instead.

Seminars for FUBAR participants will be held Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Topics will range from medical issues and provisioning to picking crew, outfitting, fishing, cultural side trips and other planning topics. A six-week Spanish class will form in early October.By Nov. 9, all FUBAR boats need to be in San Diego, as staffers will handle immigration paperwork, begin last-minute boat inspections and present skippers’ meetings.

Meetings for skippers and staffers will be held on Nov. 12 and 13, to discuss the route and receive last-minute weather reports. The FUBAR kickoff party will held Friday.“Last time, we had a ball,” agreed Bill and Linda Edwards, who cruised on their Nordhavn 43. They plan to participate in the 2009 event as well. “It was a great way to get down to La Paz and meet a lot of really nice people on the way.”

Stops are planned at Ensenada, Turtle Bay, Santa Maria Bay, Magdalena Bay, San Jose del Cabo, Muertos Bay and La Paz.Wayne Hilbig introduced FUBAR hopefuls to Marina CostaBaja in La Paz, the cruise destination, which plans a Thanksgiving Day celebration to welcome the powerboaters. Jim Elfers of Marina Puerto Los Cabos, Dick Markie of Paradise Village Marina, Jorge Gamboa of the Mexican Tourist Board and other dignitaries from Mexico presented information.

For more information, visit www.sdyc.org/fubar.

Thank you to all the attendees of the March 10th Dinner meeting and Auction at San Diego Yacht Club.  We had a packed house with over 200 people to take part in the fundraising auction and information dinner meeting for the 2009 FUBAR Odyssey.

The event will be taking place from November 14th - November 26th (Thanksgiving), 2009.  The full itinerary will be posted online shortly.

EVENT REGISTRATION: OPENS SUNDAY, MARCH 15th at 11:00 AM (PST)

• Registration will open at 11:00 AM on Sunday, March 15th.
• The process will all be done online at SDYC’s FUBAR website (www.sdyc.org/fubar).
• You will receive an automatic confirmation email, and will be contacted by the FUBAR Committee regarding your acceptance by April 7th.
• Payments will be accepted to complete your entry.
• Refunds will be issued based on the schedule below:
  - Prior to April 10th = 100% refund
  - April 10 - May 10 = $600 refund
  - May 11 - June 10 = $450
  - June 11 - July 10 =  $300
  - July 11 - July 31 = $150
  - After July 31st = No Refund
• The technical side of the registration process will be handled by SDYC Webmaster Jared Wohlgemuth.  Email Jared (jared@sdyc.org) with any questions along the way.

More to follow later this week.